Grating panel

ABSTRACT

A grating panel comprising longitudinal load bearing bars and transverse cross bars, one side edge of the panel consisting of an outside longitudinal bar, while the other side edge of the panel is formed by the end portions of the cross bars projecting laterally outside of a longitudinal load bearing bar. The projecting end portions are shaped to abut the outside longitudinal bar of another, laterally adjacent, grating panel, and bolt means secure the projecting end portions to the adjacent abutting longitudinal bar.

United States Patent [191 Baltz Apr. 30,1974

[ GRATING PANEL [76] Inventor: Robert J. Baltz, c/o Boltz Drafting Service, 1715 Clarksville Highway, Nashville, Tenn. 37208 [22] Filed: Sept. 5, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 286,243

[52] U.S. Cl. 52/581, 52/667 [51] Int. Cl F165 3/08, E040 5/01 [58] Field of Search 52/581, 507, 626, 667;

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1898 Guillaume ..52/667 6/1937 Bates ..52/667 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,258,701 France.... 52/581 841,631 7/1960 Great Britain 287/54 B Primary Examiner-Alfred C. Perham Attorney, Agent, or Firml-Iarrington A. Lackey [57 ABSTRACT A grating panel comprising longitudinal load bearing bars and transverse cross bars, one side edge of the panel consisting of an outside longitudinal bar, while the other side edge of the panel is formed by the end portions of the cross bars projecting laterally outside of a longitudinal load bearing bar. The projecting end portions are shaped to abut the outside longitudinal bar of another, laterally adjacent, grating panel, and bolt means secure the projecting end portions to the adjacent abutting longitudinal bar.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GRATING PANEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to grating panels, and more particularly to a grating panel having longitudinal load bearing bars and transverse cross bars.

The grating panels of the prior art constitute a plurality of uniformly spaced, longitudinal, load bearing bars and a plurality of cross bars rigidly fixed to the longitudinal bars to space the longitudinal bars and render the grating panel rigid. The side margins of the prior art grating panels are formed by the two outside longitudinal load bearing bars. These grating panels are supported laterally adjacent each other upon supporting bars or ledges upon which the marginal or outside load bearing bars rest.

In a floor plan in which the prior art grating panels are mounted laterally and also longitudinally of each other, the continuity of appearance of the floor plan is maintained if all the panels are of equal size and are truly longitudinally aligned, so that the continuity of appearance of the double thickness of the adjacent outside longitudinal bars of adjacent panels is maintained. However, if longitudinally placed panels in the floor plan are of non-uniform width, for any reason, such as where narrow panels are formed or cut out to conform to vertically extending obstructions in a building, such as columns or conduits, then the continuity of the double-bar thickness of the adjacent outside bars is broken, which destroys the esthetic appearance of the panel pattern, particularly in a floor plan. If the continuity of the double-bar thickness is to be maintained, then'additional panels must be fabricated of different widths so that the double thickness of the pairs of adjacent outside bars may be maintained in longitudinal alignment.

Thus, attempts to maintain the continuity of the adjacent double bars of prior-art grating panels has resulted in additional time and labor, such as waste in shop drawings, shop work, prefabrication, and installation of panels of different uniform widths as well as of fractional widths.

Since the prior-art panels are supported on ledges for supporting bars, the support of such panels at cut-outs around such obstacles as vertically extending stacks, manholes, pipes, stairwells'and columns, has created the additional problem of supporting the panels adjacent these cut-out portions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a grating panel of different construction which will overcome the above enumerated problems.

It is another object of this invention toprovide a grating panel in which one marginal; longitudinal, load bearing bar is eliminated entirely to overcome the problem of continuity in alignment of longitudinal bars in longitudinally arranged panels.

Another object of this invention is to provide a grating panel in which not only one outside marginal longitudinal, load bearing bar is eliminated, but the remaining free ends of the transverse bars projecting laterally beyond the next longitudinal bar are especially constructed not only to abut the single outside longitudinal bar of the adjacent lateral grating panel, but also to be positively secured to the adjacent longitudinal bar.

Specifically, the free ends of the cross bars which are of substantially less thickness than the longitudinal bars and formed adjacent the top surfaces of the longitudinal bars are turned downward in the depthwise plane of the panel, preferably in a curved or U-shaped extension portion. Pairs of holes are formed in the outside longitudinal bars so that each pair of holes is arranged on opposite sides of the corresponding depending cross bar extension for receiving a U-bolt around the extension and through the holes, the threaded ends of the bolts being secured by corresponding'nuts.

Panel patterns, such as a floor plan including a plurality of grating panels made in accordance with this invention, even though of different sizes, will display no adjacent abutting pairs of longitudinal bars. Since there are no double longitudinal bars in the floor plan, there is no problem of maintaining the continuity of longitudinally extended double bars for esthetic purposes. Moreover, the positive bolting of the depending free ends of selective cross bars to the outside longitudinal bars provides a stronger means of securing the panels together than merely supporting them on support bars or ledges.

Since the problem of maintaining continuity of adjacent double side bars is no longer required, substantial time, labor and money is saved in trying to avoid the problem of maintaining the continuity of double bars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the I line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary 'section taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4; and I FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in more detail, FIG. 1 discloses a typical floor plan 10 constructed from a plurality of grating panels ll, l2, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18, each of which panel is made in accordance with this invention. It will be noted in FIGS. 1 and 2 that panels 14, 15, 16' and 17 are especially constructed and shaped to form a circular cut-out 19.

In describing the details of construction, the grating panels 11 and 12 will be considered, as best disclosed in FIGS. 3 6. I

The grating panel 11 is constructed of a plurality of longitudinal, load bearing bars 20 including a single marginal outside longitudinal bar 21 and a first longitudinal bar 22, which is the closest longitudinal bar to the opposite side edge or margin of the panel 11. These bars 20, 21 and 22 have substantial uniform depth pref- 3 erably forming top planar surfaces 23 and bottom surfaces 24.

Securing the longitudinal bars 20, 21 and 22 in uniform fixed spaced relationship, are a plurality of transversely extending cross bars 25. As disclosed in the drawings, the cross bars 25 have hexagonal-shaped cross-sections, are of substantially less depth than the depth of the longitudinal bars 20, 21 and 22, and are fixed, preferably by welding in correspondingly shaped cut-out portions in the top surfaces 23 of the bars 20, 21 and 22. Preferably, the top surfaces or edges 26 of the cross bars 25 are in the same plane as the top surfaces 23 of the longitudinal bars 22.

One end 28 of each of the cross bars is rigidly fixed to the outside longitudinal bar 21, and does not project outside the longitudinal bar 21.

The other end portion 30 of each cross bar 25 projects laterally beyond the outside of the first longitudinal bar 22, then curves in a depending laterally disposed U-shaped portion, all in the same vertical or depthwise plane of the panel 11. As best disclosed in FIG. 4, the end portion 30 constitutes an upper horizontally disposed leg portion 31, a depending arcuate portion 32 and a reversely extending lower leg portion 33, which optionally terminates against the first longitudinal bar 22. The outer surfaces of the arcuate portions 32 of all the end portions 30 form the longitudinal margin of the panel 11, on the opposite side from the outside longitudinal bar 21. In this manner, the arcuate portion 32 of each end portion 30 is adapted to abut against the outer side surface of the outside bar 21' of the adjacent grating panel 12, as best disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In order to secure the depending end portions 30 of panel 11 against the outside bar 21 of panel 12, U- bolts 35 are placed around some of the arcuate portions 32 of the end members 30 so that the legs of the U-bolts 35 project through mating holes 37 (FIG. 4) formed in the outside bar 21 and are secured in place by the nuts 38 threaded upon the leg portions of the U- bolts 35. As indicated in FIG. 3, a U-bolt 35 may not be requiredfor every abutting end portion 30, although 7 it is evident that at least two U-bolts will be required to adequately secure adjacent margins of the laterally disposed panels 11 and 12. Of course, a pair of bolt holes 37 must be provided in the right position on each outside bar 21 or 21 for mating with the legs of each U- bolt 35'. The pairs of holes 37 are equally spaced on opposite sides of the center line of the corresponding cross bar 25, as best disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 5, and the spacing of the holes 37 must equal the spacing of the legs of the corresponding U-bolt 35.

It will be understood that other shapes and forms of the free end portions 30 of each cross bar 25 may be provided. For example, the lower leg portion 33 might be entirely eliminated, although it does provide additional strength for the end portion 30, particularly when its free end is fixed against the first longitudinal bar 22 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The depending portion 32 does not have to be curved in a perfect circular arc, and in fact might be vertically straight, that is straight in the depthwise dimension of the panel 11.

It is quite apparent from the plan views of FIGS. 2 and 3, that the adjacent double bars of the conventional prior-art grating panels have been eliminated. In the preferred form of the invention, the free end portion 30 projects a distance laterally outside of the first longitudinal bar 22 equal to the uniform spacing between the longitudinal bars 20, 21 and 22. In this manner, from a casual glance of the plan views of FIGS. 2 and 3, it is difiicult to detect the margins of the corresponding panels 11, 12, 14 and 15. The overall appearance is generally that of a large single unitary grating panel covering the entire floor 10, except possibly for the spacing between the ends of the panels, and except for the U-bolts 35, which do indicate the margins of the panels.

Thus, where panels, such as 11 and 14 are of different widths, but are of uniform gauge, that is of equal uniform spacing between the longitudinal bars, the pattern of the bars and the panels 11 and 14 will appear to be uniform, since the longitudinal bars 20, 21 and 22 will be in longitudinal alignment and the lateral margins are practically imperceptible, except at close range. The longitudinal alignment of the individual longitudinal bars is also maintained between the disaligned panels 12 and 13, and 15, 16, 17 and 18.

The cut-out 19 between the panels l4, 15, 16 and 17 illustrates the versatility of the panels made in accordance with this invention since no additional supports or securing means are required at the margin of the cutout 19. The lateral edges of the panels 14, 15 and 17 are adequately secured by the U-bolts 35, holes 37 and nuts 38. In other words, the elongated panels 14 and 17, the ends of which are adequately supported upon ledges or cross support bars, not shown, provide the lateral support for the short panels 15 through the U-bolts 35. The same is true of the panel 16, which is also supported on the other side of the cut-out 19 by the same long panels 14 and 17.

By eliminating one of the outside longitudinal load supporting bars, not only is the maintenance of the continuity of double adjacent longitudinal bars eliminated, but also the weight of each panel 1 1, 12, etc. is proportionally reduced by the difference in weight between the eliminated load carrying bar and the extension of the free ends of the cross bars 25 to form the end portions 30.

The floor plan 10 may employ grating panels 11 18 with a maximum utility of standard width panels and a minimum number of fractional width panels. Moreover, a grating floor, such as 10, is much safer than conventional floors because all of the panels 11 18 are positively locked together by their side margins through the U-bolts and are not loosely fitted to rest solely upon under supporting bars or ledges.

What is claimed is:

1. A grating assembly comprising:

a. first and second grating panels,

b. each of said grating panels having a plurality of longitudinal bars forming top surfaces and bottom surfaces and having a uniform depth, and including a first longitudinal bar adjacent one side of each of said panels and an outside longitudinal bar on the opposite side of each of said panels, 1

c. each of said grating panels having a plurality of cross bars extending transversely of, and rigidly fixed to at least some of, said longitudinal bars'to uniformly space said longitudinal bars and to form a rigid panel, I

(I. each of said cross bars having a first end and a second end,

e. the second ends of said cross bars in each panel terminating at said outside bar in said panel,

f. each of said first ends in each panel projecting transversely on the opposite side of said first longi- -tudinal bar from said outside bar a uniform distance and forming an edge portion extending depthwise of said panel,

g. said first ends of said first panel abutting the adjacent surface of the outside bar of said second panel, and

h. means securing at least two of said first ends of said first panel against the adjacent surface of the outside bar of said second panel, so that said first and second panels are substantially coplanar.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which the uniform distance said first ends project beyond said first longitudinal bar is equal to the uniform spacing between said longitudinal bars.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which the depth of each cross bar is less than the depth of said longitudinal bars, said cross bars being fixed adjacent said top surfaces, and each of said edge portions depending depthwise from its corresponding cross bar.

4. The invention according to claim 3 in which each of said first ends comprises a depending extension of its corresponding cross bar, said securing means comprising U-bolt means fitting around said depending extension and detachably secured to said outside bar of said second panel.

i UNITED STATES PA'IlENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION I Robert J Bul-tz Inventofls) v It is certified. tfiat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The inrrentor's addres should read c/o Baltz Drair'ting. Service Signed; and sealed this 24th day of September 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. r c. MARSHALL DANN Comissioner of Patents Attesting Officer USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 urs. covrmmzm' rnmnm; orncz; 93 0 FORM PO-105O (10-69) 

1. A grating assembly comprising: a. first and second grating panels, b. each of said grating panels having a plurality of longitudinal bars forming top surfaces and bottom surfaces and having a uniform depth, and including a first longitudinal bar adjacent one side of each of said panels and an outside longitudinal bar on the opposite side of each of said panels, c. each of said grating panels having a plurality of cross bars extending transversely of, and rigidly fixed to at least some of, said longitudinal bars to uniformly space said longitudinal bars and to form a rigid panel, d. each of said cross bars having a first end and a second end, e. the second ends of said cross bars in each panel terminating at said outside bar in said panel, f. each of said first ends in each panel projecting transversely on the opposite side of said first longitudinal bar from said outside bar a uniform distance and forming an edge portion extending depthwise of said panel, g. said first ends of said first panel abutting the adjacent surface of the outside bar of said second panel, and h. means securing at least two of said first ends of said first panel against the adjacent surface of the outside bar of said second panel, so that said first and second panels are substantially coplanar.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 in which the uniform distance said first ends project beyond said first longitudinal bar is equal to the uniform spacing between said longitudinal bars.
 3. The invention according to claim 1 in which the depth of each cross bar is less than the depth of said longitudinal bars, said cross bars being fixed adjacent said top surfaces, and each of said edge portions depending depthwise from its corresponding cross bar.
 4. The invention according to claim 3 in which each of said first ends comprises a depending extension of its corresponding cross bar, said securing means comprising U-bolt means fitting around said depending extension and detachably secured to said outside bar of said second panel. 